A Snapshot of “India Song”

New York: German born Karen Knorr, entices the viewer with an inimitable photographic panorama. Among her variegate digital photographic series ‘India Song’ is a kariotic moment in her visual venture. The series exudes a conjoint interaction of subjects -a rich, intricate architecture interacts with wildlife in an idyllic stage. She started working on the series in 2008, focusing on the theme of upper caste culture of the Rajput in India. The series imbibe cultural heritage of Rajasthan and Mughal architecture interspersed with animal protagnist. But the painting has underlying messaging she questions the base of the culture, colonialism, exoticism, gender, religion, and politics of India. The enigmatic composition blurs the distinction between reality and illusion, in an attempt to question the cultural heritage and rigidity in hierarchy.

A Place Like Amravati, Udaipur City Palace (Nilgai), Udaipur

Driven by satirical implication of societal demarcation and representation, her repertoires are aesthetic amalgamation of her quest on privileges of the aristocratic. The first of her series were a photographic compilation on social mockery of the upper class in London. Having lived and grown in a lavish neighbourhood in Belgravia, her works are a sardonic response to this lifestyle. She elaborates on The Belgravia series, she says “…At that time in photography, a lot of artists were showing people who were dispossessed. I felt it was time to turn the tables and look at the people who were in charge. It’s not exploiting them; they are strong enough to take the irony. It’s playing the game on their own terms. I also wanted to implicate myself, look at issues of privilege.”

The Lifting of Purdah, Moti Mahal, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

An internationally acclaimed photographer, she has lectured, taught and exhibited at various universities both in US and Europe. Her techniques are wide spread and diverse, she has incorporated these in her photographic exploration. Each of these techniques expresses a sense of emotion, she said “One thing I noticed in conceptual art, it could be so serious. I don’t want to be that serious, I want to make a picture that’s ambiguous.” She establishes this through hybrid juxtaposition of two entirely different visual components- architecture (rigid) and nature (biomorphic).

A Soul Reborn, Ajanta Caves, Ajanta

To really experience and interpret, one must see the works in person. India Song is on display from 27 September – 05 October 2013, Tasveerart, Delhi.